Gas turbine fan fairing platform and method of fairing a root leading edge of a fan blade of a gas turbine engine

ABSTRACT

A gas turbine fan fairing platform includes at least one body defining a surface and having an opening receptive to a blade, a protrusion extending outwardly from the surface in a direction that will position the protrusion along a leading edge near a root of the blade.

BACKGROUND

Gas turbine engines typically include platforms near a root of a fan blade. The fan blade extends radially outwardly from the relatively flat platform. Discontinuities between surfaces of the platform and surfaces of the fan blade create turbulence as fluids flow therepast. The industry is always receptive to new devices and methods that can potentially improve efficiencies of gas turbine engines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein is a gas turbine fan fairing platform. The platform includes at least one body defining a surface and having an opening receptive to a blade, a protrusion extending outwardly from the surface in a direction that will position the protrusion along a leading edge near a root of the blade.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the at least one body is two bodies each having an opening such that the two bodies can attach to one another and the openings form a continuous border that surrounds the blade.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the two bodies are detachable from one another to allow them to be replaced.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the protrusion has a curved surface that blends into the surface of the at least one body.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the protrusion serves as a fairing for the blade.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the at least one body is made of at least one of a composite, a polymeric material, and a metal.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the material of the at least one body is more resilient than that of the blade.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the at least one body seals to the blade.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the protrusion improves aerodynamic flow at the root leading edge of the blade in comparison to a platform that does not include the protrusion.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the improved aerodynamics allows the root leading edge of the blade to be thicker without sacrificing performance of a gas turbine engine employing the gas turbine fan fairing platform.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments the protrusion protects the root leading edge of the blade from being contacted directly with a foreign body.

Further disclosed herein is a method of fairing a root leading edge of a fan blade of a gas turbine engine. The method includes positioning a platform having a protrusion near an opening in at least one body of the platform such that the protrusion is adjacent a root leading edge of the fan blade.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments sealing the platform to the fan blade.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments isolating the root leading edge of the fan blade from being struck by objects directly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a gas turbine fan fairing platform disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the turbine fan fairing platform of FIG. 1 positioned around a fan blade;

FIG. 3 depicts an alternate perspective view of the turbine fan fairing platform of FIG. 1 positioned around a fan blade;

FIG. 4 depicts a plurality of the turbine fan fairing platforms of FIG. 1 positioned around a plurality of fan blades in relative positions as they might appear on a gas turbine engine; and

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a gas turbine engine employing the gas turbine fan fairing platform of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an embodiment of a gas turbine fan fairing platform disclosed herein is illustrated generally at 10. The platform 10 includes at least one body 14, 18, with two of the bodies being shown in the illustrated embodiment, although any practical number of the bodies could be employed. A seam 20 shows where the two bodies 14, 18 are come together. Other embodiments can have one or more seams oriented in other directions depending upon the number of bodies employed and the direction in which they come together. At least one of the bodies 14 has an opening 26 receptive to a blade 30 (not shown in FIG. 1) and defines a surface 22. A protrusion 34 extends outward from the surface 22 in a direction that positions the protrusion 34 proximate a leading edge 38 of the blade 30 near a root 42 of the blade 30.

The two bodies 14, 18 of the platform 10 are attachable such that the opening 26 in the body 14 and an opening 46 in the body 18 form a single larger opening 50 when the bodies 14 and 18 are attached. The opening 50 is sized and shaped to fit around the blade 30 near the root 42 and form a continuous border 48 that surrounds the blade 30. The two bodies 14, 18 are also detachable from one another to allow for replacement in the event that they become damaged, for example.

The protrusion 34 has a curved surface 54 that blends into the surface 22 of the body 14. The protrusion 34 serves as a fairing for the blade 30 and creates a smooth aerodynamic transition between the surface 22 and the blade 30 that is an improvement in comparison to a platform that does not include the protrusion 34. The shape of the surface 54, the protrusion 34 and surface 22 are designed to provide a smooth aerodynamic transition and consequently may have rather complex geometry. The body 14 may be made of a composite or polymeric material to facilitate fabrication of the complex geometry through injection molding, for example. Alternatively, metals such as steel, titanium and aluminum could also be used. The body 14 could also be made of a combination of two or more of the foregoing materials. The needs of each application can influence what material to use. Some applications may favor a lighter material while others a stronger more durable material.

The improved aerodynamics provided by the protrusion 34 allows the root leading edge 38 of the blade 30 to be thicker without sacrificing performance of a gas turbine engine 110 (in FIG. 5 only) employing the gas turbine fairing platform 10. Increased thickness of the root leading edge 38 of the blade 30 makes the blade 30 more durable and less prone to damage when struck since the stress concentration that naturally occurs at the root 42 is lessened by the increased thickness. Additionally, the thicker blade 30 can be stiffer thereby changing the vibrational modes in a direction that should lessen noise and potential damage associated with vibrating at vibrational modes associated with a thinner blade. Furthermore, the protrusion 34 protects the root leading edge 38 of the blade 30 from being contacted directly with a foreign body. And since the material of the body 14 is in some embodiments more resilient than the blade 30 the body 14 can dampen impact from strikes of foreign objects against the protrusion 34. The resiliency of the body 14 can also allow it to act as a seal to the blade 30 and to other structures near the blade 30 such as a nosecone or spinner (not shown) for example.

The foregoing structure allows an operator a method of faring the root leading edge 38 of the fan blade 30 of the gas turbine engine 110 by positioning the platform 10 such that the protrusion 34 is adjacent the root leading edge 38 of the fan blade 30. In this context the word fairing is being used as a verb to describe improving aerodynamics of whatever the fairing is being done to, which in this case is the root leading edge 38 of the fan blade 30. The method also allows the operator to seal the platform 10 to the fan blade 30 as well as to isolate the root leading edge 38 of the fan blade 30 from being struck by objects directly.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a gas turbine engine 110 that can be used to power an aircraft the engine 110 is attached to (not shown), for example. The gas turbine engine 110 is disclosed herein as a two-spool turbofan that generally incorporates a fan section 122, a compressor section 124, a combustor section 126 and a turbine section 128. The fan section 122 drives air along a bypass flowpath while the compressor section 124 drives air along a core flowpath for compression and communication into the combustor section 126 then expansion through the turbine section 128. Although depicted as a turbofan gas turbine engine in the disclosed non-limiting embodiment, it should be understood that the concepts described herein are not limited to use with turbofans as the teachings may be applied to other types of turbine engines including three-spool architectures and even stationary non-vehicle engines. In one embodiment the gas turbine fan fairing platform 10 disclosed herein is positioned about the fan blade 30 adjacent a nose cone 130.

While the present disclosure has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present disclosure can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, while various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A gas turbine fan fairing platform comprising at least one body defining a surface and having an opening receptive to a blade, a protrusion extending outwardly from the surface in a direction that will position the protrusion along a leading edge near a root of the blade.
 2. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one body is two bodies each having an opening such that the two bodies can attach to one another and the openings form a continuous border that surrounds the blade.
 3. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the two bodies are detachable from one another to allow them to be replaced.
 4. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a curved surface that blends into the surface of the at least one body.
 5. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the protrusion serves as a fairing for the blade.
 6. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one body is made of at least one of a composite, a polymeric material, and a metal.
 7. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the material of the body is more resilient than that of the blade.
 8. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the at least one body seals to the blade.
 9. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the protrusion improves aerodynamic flow at the root leading edge of the blade in comparison to a platform that does not include the protrusion.
 10. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 9, wherein the improved aerodynamics allows the root leading edge of the blade to be thicker without sacrificing performance of a gas turbine engine employing the gas turbine fan fairing platform.
 11. The gas turbine fan fairing platform of claim 1, wherein the protrusion protects the root leading edge of the blade from being contacted directly with a foreign body.
 12. A method of fairing a root leading edge of a fan blade of a gas turbine engine, comprising positioning a platform having a protrusion near an opening in at least one body of the platform such that the protrusion is adjacent a root leading edge of the fan blade.
 13. The method of fairing a root leading edge of a fan blade of a gas turbine engine of claim 12, further comprising sealing the platform to the fan blade.
 14. The method of fairing a root leading edge of a fan blade of a gas turbine engine of claim 12, further comprising isolating the root leading edge of the fan blade from being struck by objects directly. 